Is copying through ftp really full backup?

[comokepa]

Hi, I have an X3 up and running on a v1.2 with BIOS 1959 and was about to change the stock hdd, a Seagate ST310014A, for a bigger one, a Samsung SV1604N (150,0 GB. 8,9ms/2048Mb cache/5400rpm U-133 IDE).*

I have been searching in forums what is needed to be backed up, and it seems that simply copying full c: and e: would do the job.

But otherwise, with all this stuff about late massive XBL banning, I read some threads mentioning that there's more in a hdd than meets the eye. I've read, without understanding much, about relevant info being present in some sort of master boot record, about this disk.bin holding info on XBL user tag (my XBox, though, has not been to XBL yet, neither played Halo 2; the stock dashboard, though, was updated from one with no Live tab to another with one by Crimson Skies, I think). Also there is this partitioning scheme that Config Live describes with 6 different partitions… so far I had only read about C and E, and there there are X, Y, Z & F too. What's with them? Do they hold important info too?

I ask this because in the PC world, when you want to do a full HDD backup, you try to clone it, not just copy the files on it.

So I'd wholeheartedly appreciate if anyone explained
a) if copying files in c and e is enough,
b) why and how I might want to get the disk.bin file from my original HDD, wherever it is.
c) If there is any more info that should be backup up somewhere else hidden in the HDD.
d) What's up with all those partitions, which I detail below, what are their contents, if any, and what are each of them for.

Total Hard Disk Size: 9.54 Gb

[Par 1 = E:] Blocks 5633024 - 15633071, 4.77 Gb
[Par 2 = C:] Blocks 4609024 - 5633023, 0.49 Gb
[Par 3 = X:] Blocks 1024 - 1537023, 0.73 Gb
[Par 4 = Y:] Blocks 1537024 - 3073023, 0.73 Gb
[Par 5 = Z:] Blocks 3073024 - 4609023, 0.73 Gb
[Par 6 = F:] Blocks 15633072 - 20005649, 2.09 Gb
[Par 7 = G:] -- NOT USED --

 

[Ikarasu]

A) IS there files on F? It doesnt hurt to back them all up... Just select them all, back them up. It shouldnt be so much space....
B) Unsure. If your box hasnt been on Xbox live.... then you'll have no problems upgrading HD's and getting on it.
C) Well...I'm not sure if it's in the HD. but in my executer 3... I got an "admin" folder. I'd back that up (Might just be the chips memory?) but it has your epprom and stuff I believe.
D) They are Cache drives. Like... If you play A game, it installs the files to the Drive... making it so everything isn't run off of a computer. Hence why you see that STUPID movie when you first start up Ghost recon 2. They aint technically important, I suppose. Theres no game saves or nothing on it, just basic game files that will be re-installed once you launch the games again.

 

[comokepa]

Thanks so much for such an informative and detailed answer!

Still, does anybody know anything about the hdd storing more info somewhere, besides the obvious files in each partition, and about that "disk.bin" being talked about?

 

[etegration]

so will it work should i just ftp the files ffrom the old hdd, swop the new hdd then ftp them back?

 

[Telexen]

so will it work should i just ftp the files ffrom the old hdd, swop the new hdd then ftp them back?

Yup, you only need to copy over C: and E:...if nothings on F:. Then just swap the HDDs, partition/format the new one and copy back over.

 

[Robsta]

all x,y,z partitions are just the cache partitions, like what halo 2 loads the maps to so the next time you play that map, the load time is quick as hell, but yea, just c and e are fine, F is if you had put in an upgraded hard drive

 

[Vyrus]

Removed